The Australians have suffered another setback ahead of the Ashes opening against England in Perth, with bowler Sean Abbott ruled out of the first Test. Cricket Australia revealed that Abbott suffered a moderate grade hamstring injury during the Sheffield Shield match, preventing him from joining the squad for the first game of the historic series.
Furthermore, there is an update on Josh Hazlewood, who just avoided being ruled out of the Perth match. He was also playing in the Sheffield Shield against Victoria and was experiencing tightness in his right hamstring. Fortunately, the scans confirmed that Hazlewood was free of any significant injuries, providing relief to the Australian dugout. Abbott, on the other hand, will not play in the first Test.
“Hazlewoodwill train as planned in the lead up to the first Test in Perth,” a CA spokesperson said. “Abbott will not be available for selection for the first Test match in Perth and his return to play plan will be developed over the coming weeks,” he added.
With pat Cummins already ruled out and Abbott unavailable, the Australians may be forced to hand some game time to Brendan Doggett,
Making his Test debut at 31 years of age. Doggett has played 50 First-Class matches so far, accounting for an impressive 190 wickets at an average of 26.46. It will be interesting to see how the pacer copes up with the pressure of making Test debut on a stage like the Ashes.
Australia squad for first Test: Steven Smith (captain), Travis Head (vice-captain), Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Beau Webster, Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Brendan Doggett, Nathan Lyon
The first Test of the upcoming Ashes 2025-26 series is scheduled to begin on November 21 at the Optus Stadium, Perth. In Cummins’ absence, the Australians will be led by star batter Steven Smith, who will return to his role as a specialist once the pacer returns. Unbeaten so far in the current World Test Championship cycle, the hosts would want to make it a memorable one, maintaining their dominance on the table and in their rivalry against The Three Lions.
India
